Palestine’s President Abbas says ready to govern Gaza after ceasefire deal

Palestine’s President Abbas says ready to govern Gaza after ceasefire deal

Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas has said that the Palestinian Authority (PA) was ready to assume “full responsibility” in post-war Gaza, in his first statement since a ceasefire deal was announced between Israel and Hamas.

“The Palestinian government, under president Abbas ‘ directives, has completed all preparations to assume full responsibility in Gaza”, a presidency statement said on Friday.

It would include the return of the displaced, providing basic services, crossings management and reconstruction of the war-torn territory.

The Palestinian Wafa news agency also reiterated Abbas’s government’s request for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip.

The West Bank, which has been occupied by Israeli forces since 2007, is under the control of the PA, which is dominated by the Fatah movement.

Israel is currently in favor of Hamas and the PA, but it has no clear position on post-war governance.

Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly opposed Hamas or the PA ruling the Palestinian territory, describing either scenario as “a reward” for the October 7, 2023 attack.

However, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who will leave, stated last week that the coastal region should be run by the PA.

Palestinian leaders across factions have long said that Gaza’s future is for them to decide, rejecting any outside interference.

Mohammad Mustafa, the prime minister of Palestine, stated on Friday that the government’s institutions were prepared to increase their efforts and restore basic services in Gaza, while urging the European Union to send a monitoring mission to the Rafah border crossing to facilitate the entry of aid.

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